Recessed electrical fixtures typically include a housing which may be box-like or cylindrical and is open at one end. In a remodeling situation, a hole, approximately the same size and shape of the housing, is cut in a support member, such as a wall or ceiling, and the housing of the electrical fixture is inserted therein. A flange or lip which is generally perpendicular to the walls of the housing, extends beyond the walls of the housing and prevents the fixture from passing completely through the opening. Retaining the fixture within the hole is somewhat problematic, since the topside of the ceiling, or inside of the wall, is inaccessible once the housing is placed therein. Additionally, the thickness of the ceiling or walls may vary and the mounting system must be able to accommodate such variations. Also, when recessed fixtures are mounted into a ceiling, installation is usually performed on a ladder and can be quite dangerous if the mounting system is complex to use or requires the use of two hands for extended periods of time.
Known mounting systems for recessed lighting fixtures include springs or clips which engage the ceiling or wall support member to retain the fixture in place. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,733,339 and 4,739,460 both to Kelsall and U.S. Pat. No. 4,760,510 to Lahti. Clips are also used in conjunction with a "plaster frame" in a new construction situation to mount recessed fixtures in U.S. Pat. No. 4,293,895 to Kristofek U.S. Pat. No. 2,518,936 employs a sleeve or band which is first secured to the ceiling, and to which the lighting fixture is then secured. Systems for mounting recessed lighting fixtures in a suspended ceiling are also known. See U.S. Pat. No. 3,755,667 to Price and U.S. Pat. No. 4,424,554 to Woloski, et al.
Mounting systems which use retractable fastening members which are lowered to engage the upper or inside surface of the support member are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,048,491 to Wessman and U.S. Pat. No. 2,914,287 to Henning. A major drawback to the mounting systems in both Wessman and Henning is that the retractable members must be extended or retracted one at a time. This requires the installer to use both hands (one to support the fixture and one to extend each fastening member individually) for an extended period of time before the fixture will be even loosely retained within the hole in the support member. This increases the likelihood of injury to an installer working on a ladder since the installer cannot hold on to the ladder during the installation. The Wessman system has the further drawback of having the screws used to adjust the position of the fastening members located on the outside of the fixture. This requires either an odd-shaped hole be cut in the support member or more precision in the cutting of a circular hole in the support member.